Happy World Photography Day!

by Cara - Friday, August 19, 2011

Haven't heard of World Photography Day before? Don't worry, not many people have. That's because it wasn't created by a big brand as a marketing tool, rather it was established by photographers around the world as a day to celebrate their art form, simply because they could. Slowly, over the last 20 years or so, groups around the world have started to get on board with the idea of World Photography Day. Now, you can even 'Like' World Photography Day on Facebook!

Why August 19th?

The Daguerreotype, the first commercially successful photographic process created by Louis Daguerre, was officially announced as a gift "free to the world" by the French Government on August 19, 1839 - hence, World Photography Day on August 19th. Another photographic process, the Calotype, was invented by William Fox in 1839, and together with the invention of the Daguerreotype mark 1839 as the official year that photography was invented. If you want to learn more about the History of Photography click here!

The official site for World Photography Day is accepting photo uploads from August 19th - 26th. If you have a great shot that you'd like to display for the world to see visit the 2011 World Photography Day Gallery. If you're looking for a cool way to take pictures on your iPhone and haven't downloaded our You Gotta See This! app yet, get it here and take amazing 360 degree photo collages to share with your friends and family! In honor of World Photography Day, grab your cameras, head outside, and start shooting!